


Pumpkin Guts and All

by SaraJaye



Series: Ever After 'Verse [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Family Fluff, Friendship, Halloween, Hugs, Keith hates Smarties, Kid Fic, Kids dressed like anime characters, M/M, Married Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Mild Hurt/Comfort, Shiro learned to cook, Shiro likes to carve pumpkins in the house, Single Parents, Stressed Keith, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 04:56:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16422812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Halloween is a challenge when you've got kids and a husband who likes to carve pumpkins in the house.





	Pumpkin Guts and All

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the Ever After 'verse. Sven is Sheith's second adopted child, and I WILL be writing the story of how they came to obtain him. :D

He couldn't believe it. He and Shiro had been through so much together, fought the odds, rescued each other more times than he could count. Even _death_ was just a temporary setback. Keith thought he could forgive anything from the man who'd saved and changed his life.

But looking at the mess of pumpkin guts and seeds sitting on the floor, the spilled paint, and worst of all, _Smarties_ in the candy bowl, he'd never wanted to wring his beloved's neck more than he did now.

"Shiro," he said, "when I told you and the kids to start getting the house ready for Halloween, I assumed you'd leave time to clean the house before I got back from the party store." He dropped the bags of last-minute decorations and extra candy onto the easy chair. "We've got an hour before Julie and her brothers get here, and you know how picky her mom is. If she sees the house looking like this she'll never let Julie play with Athena again!"

"Calm down, honey," Shiro said, standing up and wiping his slimy hands on his old jeans. "Athena and Sven had their baths, they're just getting into their costumes. I can get all of this cleaned up in no time." Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Then explain the Smarties. Shiro, you know kids hate those things, didn't you hate them when you went trick-or-treating as a kid?"

"Really?" Shiro hugged him, smearing Keith's jacket with leftover pumpkin guts. "You're all worked up about some silly little sugar candies? Some kids do like that junk, you know," he said. "What's wrong, Starlight? You feeling a little antsy about something else? You know you can always talk to me?" And Keith's irritation began to melt away, he was weak to that little pet name of Shiro's and Shiro knew it.

"That's not playing fair, babe." He leaned into the embrace, pouting a little. "Class was a disaster. The cadets were so hyped up about candy and scary stories they wouldn't listen, even the best students kept goofing up in the simulator, and James thought pumpkin-flavored vodka would be a good idea."

"Oh, boy." Shiro chuckled. "Let me guess, it was a very drunk lunch break?"

"If only. That stuff tasted like crap, so we had to pour it down the drain, and it stunk up the lounge. And then I had to deal with crowds at the party store, it was like every person there forgot how to talk except for _oops, excuse me, sorry, just a minute, move move move!_ " It was stress, Keith realized, just a bunch of dumb everyday stupid stress parents had to deal with. "God, I sound like one of those moms on TV."

Shiro hugged him closer, ruffling his hair and kissing the top of his head.

"Well, you're home now, love. Why don't you have a cup of tea and relax while I finish cleaning this pigsty?" Keith smiled, snuggling more into the embrace. This is why he could never stay mad or even slightly annoyed at Shiro, because Shiro was perfect and wonderful even when he put Smarties in the candy bowl or got pumpkin guts everywhere.

"I think I will."

With Kosmo's help, the place was clean in fifteen minutes, just in time for the kids to come bounding down the stairs in their costumes. Keith had to chuckle at Shiro's obvious influence; Athena had dressed as Francoise from Cyborg 009 while Sven wore the costume of Jinpei the Swallow from Science Ninja Team Gatchaman.

"I'm not a ballerina, but I can still feel things and fight!" Athena chirped.

"And I am the Swallow. I may be small, but I know when Big Sister Jun has feelings for Ken," added Sven. His voice was soft, nothing like Keith remembered of the character when Shiro showed him several episodes, but he was smiling, clearly intending to have himself a good time tonight. Nothing like the solemn and worried boy they'd taken home from the orphanage six months ago.

"You're gonna _love_ trick-or-treating with Julie, Eric, and Leo," Athena told Sven. "Leo's really strong and smart so if anyone gives us a bad time he'll chase them away, and Eric tells the best jokes. And you know Julie!"

"I will be glad to know her brothers more, then." Sven nodded. "Papa, our costumes, they are bright enough?"

"Definitely. And you kids have your flashlights?"

"And don't open anything till we get home," Athena said. "Julie's mom is making Leo bring carrot sticks and trail mix in case we get hungry." Julie Reynolds's mother was a bit of a fanatic about things like cleanliness and healthy eating habits, which Keith tended to roll his eyes at, but given the sugar rush the kids were heading into for the next few days they'd probably need the extra vitamins.

"And be home before nine-thirty," Keith said.

"Because it gets dangerous after then?" Sven asked.

"Because your dad wants us to watch his collection of Halloween-themed sitcom episodes as a family," Shiro said, walking into the den in clean jeans and a sweatshirt with a dancing skeleton on the front. Keith blushed.

"That, too."

"And it's really okay if we eat dinner so late?" Sven asked. "It will be late for you to start cooking."

"Got it covered," Shiro said, patting Sven's shoulder. "Your Papa and I will have our share, and keep yours warm in the oven for when you get back. How does my famous teriyaki chicken sound?" Technically, it was his mother's recipe, but it was one of the first things Shiro had learned to cook flawlessly, impressing his mother so much she insisted he claim it as his own.

"Yay!" Athena cheered. "You make it better than the restaurants!"

"It's my favorite thing you've ever made," Sven added. "Thank you, Father."

Mary Reynolds came, kids in tow, and when she did her usual sniffing and furitive glancing Keith could tell she'd had pretty stressful day, too. She turned to Leo, who seemed to be waiting for instructions.

"You remember the precautions, right? And what to do if the little one gets too scared? Or..." She sighed. "Oh, what am I saying, we've been over this a dozen times. You're fifteen, you know this area, you could break anyone's arm if they looked at Eric or Julie cross-eyed."

"Mom, everything's gonna be fine," Leo said. He was tall and stocky, reminding Keith of Hunk only with pale skin and white-blonde hair. "You just relax and enjoy not having to deal with the munchkins." Mary nodded, and Keith could tell this had been an even more stressful day for her than for most.

"Want to sit down and have a cup of tea?" he offered as the kids got lost in their chatter, admiring each other's costumes and making bets on how much candy they'd end up with. Mary's shoulders slumped with relief, and she smiled.

"Thank you, Keith." She watched the kids walk out the door, made herself comfortable at the dining room table, and Shiro poured all of them a cup of chamomile tea. "And thank you, Shiro. Halloween is...not my favorite day of the year since Alan left." Keith nodded, it was just over a year ago that Julie had run away from home after finding out her parents were splitting up.

"We would have taken the kids out tonight, you know," he said, but Mary shook her head, taking a sip of tea.

"No, this is...this is something I've needed to do for a long time. Leo's always been a good boy, responsible beyond his years, but Alan was so damn _overprotective_ about everything. I know I can be a nut about health food and clean houses, but I feel like he brought out the worst of that in me. Sometimes it was a miracle the kids were allowed to have friends, and it's all because of the way _his_ parents raised _him!_ "

"Hey, you didn't see how bad Keith was with Sven when we first brought him home," Shiro said. "Granted, he was so timid you were afraid to breathe too loudly near him, but Keith was practically afraid to let him go to his first day of public school!" Keith blushed, glaring playfully at his husband.

"You're the one who wanted the principal to punish that kid's _parents_ for their daughter pulling his hair!" Mary giggled, in spite of herself.

"So even Admiral Shiro and the Black Paladin can make mistakes?" Keith patted her arm.

"Yes. You should've seen us when we adopted Athena. Even with how well we all got along, we didn't realize how much energy one kid could have," he said.

"We even asked the doctor if we should put her on a no-sugar diet," Shiro added. Mary snickered.

"Alan tried to enforce that once himself. It ended with me buying the kids a family-size pack of Chips Ahoy after three days." She smiled. "Thank you for listening to my sob story, though. I hope I didn't ruin your Halloween."

"Don't worry about it," Shiro said. "But you definitely seem like you could use something to take your mind off things. Want to watch some TV? And you can help us hand out candy, too."

They caught snippets of B-grade monster movies in between answering the door for trick-or-treaters, Shiro prepared dinner (making extra for their guest as well as her kids "just in case"), and Mary played with Kosmo.

"I always wanted a dog," she sighed, "but my father was allergic to animal fur. So I just played with the neighbor's dog. And watered her plants, and babysat her kids once I was old enough."

Keith got to know quite a bit about the woman he'd once considered uptight and snobbish, and made a mental note to invite her over more often. She needed a friend now more than ever, and he knew all too well what that was like.

The children came home to three laughing parents, much to the Reynolds kids' shock.

"Mom, have you been drinking?" Leo asked.

"Nope! Just listening to Mr. and Mr. Shirogane's stories about their Voltron days," Mary said. Keith grinned, gesturing to their very full pillowcases.

"Generous houses this year?"

"Oh yeah," Athena giggled. "And we've still gotta go through it and trade stuff!"

"Dinner first," Shiro said. "Julie, Leo, Eric, do you guys like Japanese food? I made extra helpings of my famous teriyaki chicken!"

"Just pick the carrots out of mine and we're good," Eric said. The kids dropped their pillowcases near the couch, shedding their shoes and coats and gloves in an unruly pile as they hurried into the kitchen.

They probably wouldn't get around to watching the sitcom marathon until nearly ten, either. But seeing the kids so happy, getting to know Mary Reynolds, and knowing they'd actually gotten _rid_ of all the Smarties in the candy bowl had him in such a good mood that he didn't care. Even if all they got to watch was the Fresh Prince episode.

(That was his favorite in the collection anyway.)


End file.
